The invention is generally related to computers and computer software. More specifically, the invention is generally related to a manner of interfacing with user interface controls displayed on a computer display.
Hypertext linking has become an extremely popular manner of interfacing with a computer due to its intuitiveness, simplicity and efficiency. With hypertext linking, a user is permitted to navigate between documents and/or between different locations in the same document simply by moving a pointer over a hypertext link and selecting the hypertext link by depressing a key or button (a process known as xe2x80x9cpointing and clickingxe2x80x9d).
Hypertext links often include text embedded within a text string that is highlighted to identify the text as a hypertext link. As such, a user is often able to navigate by directly selecting the text from a portion of a text string. For example, a text string such as xe2x80x9cthe winner of the 1973 Kentucky Derby was Secretariatxe2x80x9d might have a hypertext link defined for the word xe2x80x9cSecretariat,xe2x80x9d such that a user might be able to view a separate document with Secretariat""s career racing statistics simply by pointing and clicking on the word xe2x80x9cSecretariat.xe2x80x9d
A principal use of hypertext linking is in retrieving information from the Internet, and specifically, a portion of the Internet known as the World Wide Web (xe2x80x9cthe Webxe2x80x9d). Moreover, due to the ever-increasing popularity of the Web, many private networks, as well as other applications local to a users workstation, now use hypertext linking to access and navigate between documents. Documents are typically formatted using a standard language known as the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and are viewed using a computer software application known as a web or hypertext browser. Browsers typically display all or a portion of a particular document in one or more graphical windows.
Typical browsers and hypertext documents viewed on browsers are generally optimized for hand manipulated pointing devices, e.g., trackballs, touch pads, mice, etc. These pointing devices generally have two attributes: (1) feedback to the user as to current position of a cursor controlled by the pointing device; and (2) discrete selection of a coordinate on the display. In other words, the user can reposition the cursor until the cursor exactly points to a display object of interest. Selecting the object by clicking a button on the pointing device corresponds to a very specific point.
The typical hypertext document is designed for the screen size and resolution of a typical desktop or laptop computer with the density of links displayed presupposing the accuracy of typical pointing devices. Users encounter problems interacting with hypertext documents, however, due to various limitations. Human error, poor vision or poor coordination makes selecting links problematic on a browser rendered hypertext document The computer system may include a small display or an overly-sensitive pointing device, for example, that complicates selecting links. In addition, some hypertext documents are poorly designed by having very small links placed close to one another that are inherently difficult to select.
Selecting the wrong link or missing all of the links is a problem because it delays and frustrates the user. Due to the time often required to navigate to a link, the user may be unaware of the error for a period of time. Then the user has to retrace his steps, going back to the original portion of the hypertext document and trying again. The user may repeatedly miss the desired link if the human, system or document design limitations are severe.
These difficulties in selecting hypertext links are even more pronounced for touch screen pointing devices incorporated into computer displays, thus making hypertext navigation difficult. Small touch screens, such as on a palm-type computer, make the links appear small and difficult to select. On touch screens such as kiosks, even though the screen may be large, the user may have difficulty selecting links. The typically thick glass of the display and orientation of the display can induce a parallax effect, with the link appearing offset. Also, the user may be less familiar with such interfaces, increasing human error. In addition, some touch screens process the touched area input by selecting a single coordinate to represent the input. This approximation introduces an error when the user overlaps the desired area but the computer system treats the input as a coordinate outside the desired area
Other types of user input devices may also introduce errors that make it difficult to accurately select hypertext links. For example, some touch screens are implemented using infrared sensors oriented a short distance in front of a conventional display screen. Also, some virtual reality interfaces, for example, utilize instrumented gloves or other three-dimensional pointing devices to position a pointer within a three-dimensional space. In each case, factors such as human error and parallax effects can adversely affect pointing accuracy.
Efficient navigation of hypertext document by accurately selecting hypertext links is of growing importance as this form of navigation becomes pervasive. Current operating systems, such as Windows 98, for example, integrate the browser intimately. Thus, finding and viewing locally stored documents may be done in a browser environment. In addition, applications, such as many word processors, allow simplified creation of hypertext documents. Thus, users may have increasing amounts of browser navigable content available. Also, commerce and communication is being done increasingly on the Internet, making efficient navigation on hypertext documents critical. Moreover, many portable digital communication devices are incorporating limited browsing capabilities.
Existing alternatives for accurately selecting links, especially on touch screens or on devices that employ other similar xe2x80x9ccoarsexe2x80x9d pointing devices, are inadequate. Increasing the size of the portion displayed would make selecting a hypertext link easier; however, this option is generally not preferred or available. First, the browser and computer operator system may make increasing the size difficult. Second, the hypertext document may be rendered difficult to use if forced to focus on very small portions. Scrolling back and forth may be insufficient for viewing sections meant to be viewed in their entirety. Substituting other, more accurate pointing devices may also be inappropriate in many instances, e.g., in a consumer kiosk where user simplicity is preferred, or in a palm-type computer where size and portability are paramount concerns.
Therefore, a significant need continues to exist for a manner of simplifying the selection of user interface controls, and in particular, the selection of hypertext links, with a touch screen or similar pointing device.
The invention addresses these and other problems associated with the prior art by providing a computer system, program product and method in which a supplemental input region is displayed in response to displaying a primary input region for a hypertext link, This supplemental input region may comprise a navigable button appropriately sized and referenced to the print input region to make selection with a touch screen input easier.
In addition, with some embodiments of the invention, this displaying of the supplemental input region may be triggered by a predetermined event. One such trigger could be the user selecting a portion of the display outside of any primary input region for a hypertext link. Another such trigger could be selecting a portion of the display that is within two primary input regions, especially for touch screen pointing devices that provide a plurality of input coordinates to the browser in response to user input. In yet another, the trigger could be selecting any portion of the screen, even if solely within one primary input region, especially if the browser is configured to avoid inadvertent selection of a hypertext link by requiring more than one screen touch. Also, the predetermined event could be user selection of a control such as a dedicated browser button, or pop-up or pulldown menu item. Further, selecting another portion of a hypertext document or a different hypertext document to view could be the predetermined event.
Without limiting the invention to a particular implementation, it may be desirable in some embodiments to visually associate a pair of primary and supplemental input regions by color or patterns, especially if such association would be discernable on a monochrome screen as well as color screen.
In some embodiments consistent with the invention, the supplemental input regions are in the form of navigable buttons. A first illustrative embodiment places navigable buttons in a row at the edge of the displayed portion of the hypertext document. Alternatively, the buttons could be floating adjacent to their corresponding primary input region or link, perhaps opaque so that overlapped hypertext document content would be visible. As yet another alternative, the buttons could be inserted into a local copy of the hypertext document and the document repaginated so that the buttons do not overlap content in the hypertext document. Other alternatives will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.
These and other advantages and features, which characterize the invention, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto and forming a further part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, and of the advantages and objectives attained through its use, reference should be made to the drawings, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is described various embodiments of the invention.